Sustainability

Live and Work Sustainably

​On Febr​uary 19, 2013, Ann Arbor City Council adopted the sustainability framework as an element of the City Master Plan​. The sustainability framework identifies 16 sustainability goals to help make Ann Arbor more sustainable. Learn more about what you can do to sustain A2!

Precipitation has increased 25% in the last 30 years in Ann Arbor and the frequency of extreme storm events has increased 43%. Climate experts agree that climate change is already occurring and the impacts are likely to increase in the future. The City of Ann Arbor recognizes the serious threats that climate change poses to the local environment, economy, and livelihoods and is taking steps to prepare for these unavoidable climate changes.

City residents, businesses and institutions spend over 200 million dollars per year on natural gas and electricity. 80% of our energy comes from coal. Investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy are key to reducing climate-changing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and keeping millions of dollars in the local economy.

Over 50% of Ann Arbor waste is diverted from landfills for recycling or composting. 40% of your household waste could be composted (we know because we sorted through 100 carts). Ann Arbor residents are awesome recyclers but we can always do more.

85% of our
drinking water comes from the Huron River. Ann Arbor's
Water Treatment Plant treats and distributes 28 million gallons per day of local surface and groundwater for businesses and residents. All that water is then treated at the
Wastewater Plant and returned to the Huron River. The
urban forest and
stormwater conveyance systems help improve water quality.

Ann Arbor is one of the top five cities for walking community in the country. Ann Arbor has over 77 lane miles of bike lanes and shared-use arrow segments, over 400 miles of sidewalk, over 1,000 bike parking spaces in downtown, and 57 miles of shared-use paths.
GoPass riders used
T​he Ride​ over 600,000​ times last year. Choosing alternative transportation modes, like riding the bus, are healthier, cheaper, reduce congestion, and reduce our community greenhouse gas emissions.

Last year, 1,600 volunteers invested 8,000 hours during 180 events to support our Natural Area Preservation efforts. GIVE 365 is our volunteer gateway to a variety of ways you can meet neighbors, see new parts of the city, and improve the community.